1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telecommunication network elements, typically ADMs (Add/Drop Multiplexers) or DXC (Digital Cross-connects). In particular, the present invention relates to a port device for connecting input flows to a switching matrix (also known as switching fabric) and a method for providing a plurality of input flows to a switching matrix in a network element. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a backpanel frame for transmitting input flows to a switching matrix.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As it is known, an ADM is a network element that provides access to all, or some subsets, of the constituent signals contained within an STM-N. The constituent signals are added to or dropped from the STM-N signal as it passes through the ADM.
Digital cross-connect systems are commonly employed to controllably rearrange and redirect the contents of signals being communicated in digital transmission systems. However, with ever increasing demands for larger transmission capacity, there is a need for increasingly larger capacity non-blocking switch units used in the cross-connect switching fabric. In particular, there is the need to provide a fabric switch whose capacity can be easily varied.
In network elements, input flows are received at ports and sent to a switching matrix through backpanel connections. After a cross-connection is carried out at such a switching matrix, the properly cross-connected data are sent to output ports.
Several different arrangements are known for providing a switching matrix with data from a port. Unfortunately, prior art solutions are focused on specific applications, for instance for transporting only SONET or SDH or OTN payload. Furthermore, the known arrangements are typically derived from standard frame formats and thus they are not optimized for efficient, flexible, agnostic and scalable architectures.